Saakini Daakini, streaming on Netflix, needed more thrills and focus

Saakini Daakini is an action comedy, headlined by Regina Cassandra and Nivetha Thomas, adapted by Akshay Poolla and directed by Sudheer Varma. The film was jointly produced by Suresh Babu, Sunitha Tati and Hyunwoo Thomas Kim under Suresh Productions, Guru Films and Kross Pictures. After hitting theatres on September 16, the film premiered on Netflix the previous weekend. Bhanuchander, Kabir Duhan Singh and Sudarshan too played important roles.

The film commences with Shalini(Nivetha Thomas) and Damini (Regina) arriving at the police training academy to learn the ropes. During one of their holidays, they witness a girl being kidnapped and are ready to go to any extent to protect her from the perpetrators. The going is far from smooth for the duo, especially when they need to uncover a deadly medical scam related to fertility clinics. Do they bow down to pressure or have the might to take on the criminals?

The film is an official remake of the Korean hit Midnight Runners and has been adapted well for the Telugu audience. The comedy showcased in the first hour, focusing on the training of the protagonists, is quite decent and sustains the light-hearted tone of the film. Prudhvi’s conversations with the female duo keeps you entertained. Nivetha Thomas, in the shoes of a Telangana rural girl, brings energy to her portrayal and displays good comic timing.

Nivetha and Regina share good on-screen camaraderie and their cat fights in the first half make for entertaining viewing. Regina sinks her teeth into the role and is equally impressive with her action avatar. The climax fight is choreographed well and brings energy to the proceedings. It’s wonderful to see a veteran like Bhanuchander bag a meaty role after a long time. Though the film has all the ingredients to make for a comfy watch, it lacks basic focus.

The film starts well but falls like a pack of cards in the second hour. The logic goes for a toss and it’s hard to distract yourself from these pitfalls. The girls unravel a kidnapping mystery and reveal it to their superiors but it’s hard to digest that they do not take any action and leave the situation to the women. This looks outright silly. If not for this narrative turn, the film would’ve provided necessary adrenaline rush on the whole.

The villain, played by Kabir Singh, is another weakling and he doesn’t pose any challenge to the women. The absence of any seriousness in the second half is a big letdown and what could’ve been a potentially nail biting thriller is undone by shoddy narration. Saakini Daakini has scope for drama, emotions, and thrills but is marred by silly narration. Except for the comedy and a thrilling climax, this film has nothing new to offer.